Just After Midnight: Historical Romance (4 page)

CHAPTER FOUR

All night Alex had been drawn toward The Celebration as he made his rounds through the streets of Dawson City. As the clock neared midnight, he gave in to the urge and entered the dance hall, searching the crowd for Megan. He found it odd she wasn’t somewhere downstairs with such a large mob present. Perhaps she was ill. For reasons he didn’t care to examine, the thought nagged at him. He searched the rooms more thoroughly for a sign of her, pushing men aside so he could get a glimpse of those seated at the gambling tables and checking every bar to see if she might be working behind it. Just when he had decided to go upstairs and knock on the door to Brian’s old rooms, music filled the dance hall and the crowd turned toward the stairway.

Alex walked farther into the packed room and followed the gaze of the crowd upward. His mouth fell open and he stopped abruptly to stare at the vision descending the staircase.

A dress of white satin clung suggestively to her form, the neckline too low, exposing most of her creamy breasts for inspection. A necklace of cut glass blinked brilliantly around her slim neck. Piled atop her head, her red hair sparkled with the stones glittering throughout the silky mass. A single, looped curl fell to her shoulder, drawing all eyes to the white satin of her throat. She rested a hand gloved in white on the head of the massive black wolf at her side. He, too, wore a collar of sparkling light.

Alex exhaled slowly, unable to believe this woman was the passably pretty Megan Daily dressed like a three-hundred-dollar whore for the entire Yukon to see.

What the hell was she playing at?

Megan descended the rest of the stairs and made her way toward the front of the room. A small, shy smile played about her lips but she carried herself proudly through the crowd. Several of the men reached out to touch her, but a low rumble from the wolf at her side had them snatching their hands quickly away.

Megan gracefully ascended the stairs to the stage and positioned herself in the center of the floor. She raised her hand and, instantly, silence blanketed the room.

“Welcome to The Celebration, gentlemen.” Her voice, low pitched and somewhat hoarse, had never sounded so seductive during the few conversations Alex had enjoyed with her. He frowned as the crowd went wild.

Megan flinched at the roar from the men. After swallowing deeply, she again smiled and lifted her hand. After a few moments the room quieted and she resumed speaking.

“I’m Meggie O’Day and you’ll be seeing a lot of me from now on.” She paused until the whoops and whistles died away. “Now, I give you the dancing girls of The Celebration.” As the girls danced onto the stage, Megan scurried behind the curtain.

Alex clenched his teeth, staring at the curtain where Megan had disappeared. For just a moment when she’d stood on the stage, an image of Joanna had replaced Megan, his sister the object of hooting, drooling men, and the thought sent a sheet of hot, red rage throughout his body, warring with his guilt. Breathing deeply, Alex attempted to bring his emotions back under control. Joanna was dead, he reminded himself, and nothing he could do now would save her—but he could save Megan.

Determined to find out, Alex strode toward the stage. Ignoring the steps, he leapt onto the structure and walked into the wings.

Megan stood alone, deep in thought. When Alex grabbed her shoulder and spun her around to face him, she gasped. The wolf snarled, crouching low to spring, and Alex froze.

“Don’t move,” Megan said softly.

“I don’t plan to.” Alex held his breath. “Do something.”

“Down, Damon. He won’t hurt me,” she reassured the wolf. “It’s all right.”

Damon continued to snarl, then began to circle Alex, his legs stiff and hackles raised.

“You’d better be more convincing. I don’t think he believes you.”

“Take your hand off me. Very slowly,” Megan whispered.

Alex complied and the wolf eventually ceased snarling. Another sharp rebuke from Megan brought the animal back to her side, where he sat compliantly, though his feral eyes remained fixed on Alex’s face. She patted the massive head and turned to Alex.

“You don’t need to reward the beast for nearly tearing me apart,” he said, irritated with her and her companion.

“Damon only wants to protect me. You’d do well to keep your hands to yourself like the rest of the men around here.”

Alex clenched his fists with frustration, knowing any false moves could anger the wolf again. “What are you up to with this costume?”

“What costume?”

“Come on, Miss Daily, you certainly don’t resemble the woman who fainted in my arms the day she arrived. Which is the act, the straightlaced woman of business or the high-priced whore?”

Megan’s lips thinned. “As you’ve been told before, Lieutenant, The Celebration is not a brothel. The girls here can be bought for a dance—and a dance only. They have no need to sell themselves for anything more when they make so much merely by dancing.”

“But you’re not one of the girls, are you?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then what are you?”

“I’m the owner of this establishment, as I’ve told you several times. I’m beginning to think you’re hard of hearing.”

“No manager I’ve ever seen dressed like that.”

“I’ve been persuaded that in the Yukon an owner does whatever is necessary to save her place. This—” She motioned to herself and shrugged “— has become necessary.”

Alex stared into Megan’s smoky-green eyes and saw the sadness beneath the anger. He sighed. “I’m sorry you’ve found it necessary to sell yourself.”

“I’m not for sale, Lieutenant Carson.”

“What would you call changing your appearance and your name to satisfy the men’s distorted views and relieve them of their money?”

Megan tilted her chin up and looked him directly in the eye. “Survival.”

The word caused him a momentary twinge of conscience. Perhaps she was right. He had no idea what it was like to be a woman alone. But he was beginning to get a picture.

“I don’t mean to upset you,” he said gently.

She tilted her head “You have.”

“I’ve seen too many women drawn into a life of squalor. They all started out like you: pretty, young, in need of money. The combination is deadly.”

Megan gave a tentative smile. “I appreciate your concern. Truly. But I own this place. All I’m trying to do is improve the business. If changing my appearance can help, I’m willing to be uncomfortable for a few hours.”

“If you dress like one of the girls, the men will treat you like one of the girls. What do you plan to do about that?”

“I have Damon for protection. As you’ve seen for yourself, he doesn’t approve of anyone touching me. The men will learn that I’m just for show and leave me alone.”

Alex stepped toward her, surprised to find he had raised a hand to her face. “I doubt if any man could leave you alone, Megan.” He cupped her defiantly raised chin in his palm.

She was so lovely—and she smelled so fresh, as though she had just stepped from a steaming bath filled with lemon-scented water. He breathed deeply of her fragrance as he rubbed weather-roughened knuckles along her cheek. Megan’s eyes widened, but she didn’t move away. Alex found himself wishing her into a dark, high-necked dress, the fire in her hair subdued by a schoolteacher’s bun. Imagination was always better than revelation, he had found. Her mouth parted as though she expected him to kiss her.

What the hell?
he thought, and lowered his head.

Boom
. The volume of the sound shook the building, and they jumped away from each other. The wolf barked, then began to howl as the thunderous vibrations continued. Alex grabbed Megan’s hand, and together they ran toward the front door of the dance hall in the wake of the crowd.

People filled the streets, cheering, dancing, and waving American flags. The Fourth of July had arrived. Every few minutes another cannon blast rent the air, and the noise of the crowd increased as their excitement mounted.

“What on earth is that horrible sound?” Megan put her hands to her ears.

“Blasting powder most likely. If you put the powder between two anvils and then run a red-hot iron between them—” He paused as another
boom
resounded from the end of the street. “That’s the sound you get.”

A long, mournful howl ruptured the momentary stillness, and Alex looked toward The Celebration. Damon sat in the doorway, his nose turned up to the sky.

“Damon, go upstairs and be quiet.” Megan waved her hand at the animal. “Go on, now.”

The black beast cocked its head at Alex, then narrowed its eyes as though wondering if the human were trustworthy. When another blast resounded, he pulled back his lips in a snarl of warning before trotting back into the building.

Megan sighed. “Will this go on all night?”

“Probably. Then tomorrow there’ll be a picnic with footraces and other track events. Should be quite a day.”

“Races? Well, that should make people thirsty, especially if this heat keeps up.”

“Do you ever think about anything but money?”

“What else is there?” Megan’s glare dared him to contradict her.

“There’s dogs swimming the river!” someone shouted as the crowd streamed toward the water.

“Damn,” Alex swore. “I’d best get down there and find out what the trouble is.”

“I’m going with you,” Megan shouted above the crowd’s roar and the blasting powder’s thunder.

Alex paused to argue, then shrugged and set off toward the docks. He didn’t have time to debate the issue with her. If she wanted to slog through the mud in her white satin, that was her choice.

He grabbed her wrist. “Stay near me. Since you sent your wolf home, these men might decide to do some touching while the touching’s good.”

She hesitated at his words, but a cheer from the crowd ahead had him hurrying away and Megan had no choice but to follow as he dragged her along.

He pushed his way to the front of the mass of people at the river’s edge and was shocked at the sight that met his eyes. Hundreds of dogs swam frantically for the opposite bank.

“What’s wrong with them?” Megan asked.

“The noise frightened ‘em and they took off for the water,” one of the miners answered. When the man turned to see who had asked the question, his eyes nearly popped from his head. “Meggie O’Day! Praise be, girl, ain’t you a picture!”

Alex grimaced but said nothing. Since attention was what Megan wanted in that costume, she could deal with any results on her own, as long as the men didn’t get too forward. He watched as she smiled and spoke with the man softly. She laughed and the sound sent shivers down Alex’s spine. Resolutely, he turned back to the river, then attempted to disperse the crowd.

When he looked for Megan a few moments later, she was nowhere to be seen. A shard of panic shot through his chest when he thought of her in the hands of the rough miners. He should have tied her to him.

A young shopkeeper noticed Alex’s searching gaze. “If you’re looking for Meggie, Lieutenant, she’s down there.” He pointed to the waterfront.

Alex spun around and saw her, up to her knees in the river, the white satin dress floating about. White gloves black with mud, she reached for a small, yellow puppy unable to keep its head above water for more than a few seconds at a time. The current kept pulling him under just as Megan’s fingers brushed his head. Then the pup would bob to the surface a few feet away. Megan moved deeper and deeper into the river after the floundering dog. As Alex watched, she stretched out her hand, inching closer to the animal. The pup turned, paddling frantically toward her. Just as Megan bent to scoop the sopping dog into her arms, she lurched and fell beneath the water.

Alex sprang into the churning river, staring at the empty space where Megan had been seconds before. His heart beat faster as the time dragged on and there was no sign of her. Just when he was about to dive under the water, her head broke the surface and she floundered, obviously hampered by her skirts. As she went under again, he dove forward and his hand latched onto her arm. He pulled her upright and dragged her toward safety.

“No,” she cried, coughing and sputtering on the muddy water she had swallowed. “I’ve got to get the puppy.” She fought against him, her loose, wet hair whipping him in the face with the force of her struggles.

“Are you crazy? You nearly drowned.” Alex wrapped his arms around her struggling form and continued toward solid ground. As soon as his feet touched bottom he stood and released her. Immediately Megan’s gaze scanned the river.

“There.” She pointed. “He’s still alive.”

She started into the water again, but Alex dragged her back. Her eyes clashed with his and he sighed. “Just stay here. I’ll get the mutt.”

He strode back into the river before she could argue. Within seconds he plucked the water-logged pup from the fray by the scruff of his neck. As he waded back toward Megan, the animal fell asleep against his chest, for all the world like a tired baby in its father’s arms.

“Here.” He thrust the animal into Megan’s waiting hands.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her face alight with gratitude. Suddenly her eyes focused on something past his shoulder and she frowned. “Look.”